Before reading this, please know that I am an old-generation Foreigner fan. I don't mean to piss off any of the band members nor any of their fans. But I'm just being honest. And I only wish to make remarks that I hope will help the current band. But in doing so, I feel that the band needs to realize that there are many fans that feel the same way as I do. I mention these feelings so that maybe the current band line-up may be able to use this knowledge in some manner that will HELP THEM win back some of the bands core fans.

I have to agree with loyd that Foreigner is no longer the same band without Lou Gramm providing the lead vocals. I also feel that it is TECHNICALLY no longer "Foreigner" with only Mick Jones being the ONLY original member. In Mick Jones's (as well as the other current band members's) mind(s), they may FEEL they are Foreigner because Mick originally formed the band and became the leader / spokesperson for it.

But realistically, with MICK JONES as the ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER OF FOREIGNER in the current lineup, I PERSONALLY feel that you need to have AT LEAST half the original members in order to keep the name and KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT that it is still the same band. At the VERY least, how about having more than JUST ONE original member?

I realize that fans of the current lineup (as well as the current members themselves) may feel that I am splitting hairs. But I personally feel like Mick Jones should not keep the name on this band. At the VERY least, I feel that Lou Gramm would need to be in the band along with Mick in order to somewhat HONORABLY keep the name. But I realize that due to Lou's health problems, his voice is not as crisp and golden as it once was (but who's to say it won't get back there again?). And this is not to take away from Kelly Hanson who sounds a lot like Gramm and is a TERRIFIC, if not LEGENDARY singer himself. And what BETTER drummer than Jason Bonham who is almost (if not just) as talented as his father who played for the ever-so-legendary Led Zeppelin? There is DEFINITELY TRUE talent in Foreigner right now. But it still just ISN'T THE SAME.

But in Mick Jones's mind, I'm sure that sentimentality does not sell records and concert tickets. Or does it? If he was to get more of the original members back in the band and announce the news, wouldn't that bring more of the band's core fans back into the fold, maybe along with the majority of the current ones? But that wouldn't be very loyal to the current members, would it? So here we have it, either way, someone gets kicked to the curb. And this is not a good thing. Therefore, I feel that even the core members of the band need to accept the current lineup, though to a point. But the current line-up OWES IT to ALL Foreigner fans to be just as good, if not BETTER, than all previous lineups that have come before.

As for me personally, my favorite albums are the earliest ones (Foreigner, Double Vision, Head Games, and Foreigner 4). To me, Foreigner was STILL a CLASSIC ROCK BAND and not a Top 40 pop band. I don't mind the occasional ballad from time to time. But it should be only a TINY percentage of the musical selection on any given album, and everything else needs to have a SOLID hard and edgy rock sound. Rumor has it that Gramm originally wanted to keep the band rocking, but Mick wanted to go more mainstream after seeing the success of "Waiting for a Girl Like You". But core fans want a hard rock spirit to outshine ANYTHING ELSE on any given album. And I KNOW Mick Jones still has it in him to provide that.

But I've listened to samples of Foreigner's current music and it is MISSING that quality. The quality I'm referring to can clearly be heard in songs like "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice", "Hot Blooded", "Blue Morning, Blue Day", "Juke Box Hero", "Dirty White Boy", and "Head Games". I feel like Foreigner is currently living in its former shadow from the Glory Days back in the late 70s and early 80s. I think Foreigner's core fans will HAPPILY buy tickets to hear these older songs, but not really much if any of the new ones. I TRULY doubt that the MAJORITY of the band's core fans would ever BUY any of these new albums. And it doesn't have to be that way. I want Foreigner to provide me with a sound that makes me IMMEDIATELY stop what I am doing and run to the closest music store to buy their latest CD. The last album that had this effect on me was Foreigner 4.

In summary, I still ACCEPT Foreigner with all the new members. But I'm not sure for how much longer. I want HARD Foreigner, not this soft crap that I would expect to hear in an elevator or a hair salon. I want the edgy, gutsy lyrics (read the lyrics for "Women" for example!) and attitude (e.g. Their album cover of a girl sitting on a urinal wiping away unbecoming remarks from the wall of a neighboring stall). And I know that Mick still has it within him to excavate all of this back to the surface. I need him to think of Pete Townsend in the Who, smashing a guitar while performing for the Ed Sullivan show when he composes music for EACH AND EVERY SONG on the next Foreigner album. I want him to STOP being a veteran and to reach down, grab his balls, and BE A REBEL once again! I want him to BE and not to HAVE BEEN. And I expect all the other members to adopt the same attitude and back him up completely! If they do THIS, I have no DOUBT WHAT-SO-EVER people will start noticing Foreigner's new material, buying their CDs, and FLOCKING to their concerts JUST as they did in the 70s and 80s.

Sorry this was so LONG and DRAWN OUT, but I figured my favorite classic rock band was worth it! Oh! And by the way, can we fans please get a "Rock Band: Foreigner" video game?!!!!

My goodness. You are way hard on Mick.First off, my feeling is the band is better than ever. The guys connect with one another. There is a defined leader, which probably caused some issues with previous lineups. I wish they would play some of their new stuff. I don't need them to smash guitars in order to feel entertained.I also wish they would play some of their older stuff like, "Women" I adored that song.The fact is, no one, nor a band is going to be in the same emotional place it was 35 years ago. They grew and matured. So did most of their audience.As for the complaint about still calling it Foreigner, well it is MICK'S Band. He can call it anything he likes. He realized his dream. His dream has evolved, into a newer, tighter band. To me, this is the BEST Foreigner. If Lou was the heart of Foreigner, Mick has always been its soul. You can get a heart transplant, but you don't get a second soul. Foreigner STILL has it's soul. That would be Mick..Now if you diss Mick again, I will have hunt you down like a dog and smack you. It sounds like you are living in the past.Perhaps you should buy some of those old Ed Sullivan shows.

I am a Foreigner fan since the 80’s. I was about 13 years old when “TWY” hit our shores and I was hooked immediately. From this day on I started to collect anything and everything that I could find about the band and the band members. I instantly fell in love with the original six-piece Foreigner line-up and this still remains to be my favourite line-up with the current one as a close follow-up.

So I’m not actually a fan of the first hour but I guess I’m qualified being called a core fan since I’m devoted to that group for 25 years and more.

OF COURSE this line-up is not the same band like it used to be because there are other band members involved who contribute to the music with their own skills and talent. They can’t sound like previous incarnations of the band simply because they are all unique musicians like we are all unique people.

Technically it is very simple: Mick Jones owns the name and can use the name of any kind whatsoever.

I’m pretty sure if Lou Gramm would own the name he’d use it like a duck takes to water.

It is only natural. Neither Mick Jones nor Lou Gramm do have a big household name on their own like for example Steven Tyler does, or Paul McCartney. They simply need to rely on the name to make sure that people recognize their music and that leads me to the next and most important point: The music!

Have you ever been to a Foreigner concert lately? If you had been you’d surely know that they kick major ass and that they do have the raw and edgy sound you love so much.

I prefer the early Foreigner cd’s as well and this is why I love this current line-up so much because they have the capability to breathe new life into those songs and I have to correct you, I know lots of so called core fans who were quite overwhelmed and enthusiastic about the new album and said that the band is so much better than they have been during the 90’s.

Besides, anybody who believes Lou Gramm could possibly sound again like he did in his glorious heydays is living in a fool’s paradise AND a great voice alone doesn’t provide good music anyways. His solo efforts from the 80’s weren’t all that compelling, at least not for my taste. I found his music to be quite generic and boring. But that is of course just my point of view.

Oh, and I guess Pete Townsend himself has grown out of his guitar smashing attitude and please take a look at Mick Jagger. He is a guy who most likely did everything during his glorious days to live a life along the lines of “sex and drugs and rock ‘n roll”. He is now a guy, who collects racing horses, prefers vegetarian food and goes out for a jog every day.

We all grew up and I think it is much better that Mick sets his guitar on fire with his playing rather than smashing it against an amplifier.

Imo it is very simple: If you like what you hear then go for it, if you don’t just don’t listen to it!

Oh, and I’m all for a Foreigner video game. I love playing air guitar. I usually do it with a scrub whilst cleaning the house.

My "smashing a guitar" comment was not meant LITERALLY but metaphorically. I happen to like the harder stuff that Foreigner has put out over the years. And I feel that most of the other Foreigner fans I've talked to seem to agree with me. But if you feel differently, then it is nice to find someone who for a change disagrees. My comment was meant as a symbol of angst that I think would channel the attitude for the music I like best, the music I would like to see this current lineup play. In other words, no more soft crap! I think that if this lineup goes back to the basics, I think they will not only sell a bunch of concert tickets, they will also sell a lot more albums. And lets face it, on your local classic rock station, what do you hear more of: Foreigners older music or their newer stuff with the current lineup of musicians? Around here, it is the latter. I feel that if Mick Jones goes back to the old school, I think we will all start hearing their latest music being played on the radio.

As for the complaint about still calling it Foreigner, well it is MICK'S Band. He can call it anything he likes. He realized his dream. His dream has evolved, into a newer, tighter band. To me, this is the BEST Foreigner. If Lou was the heart of Foreigner, Mick has always been its soul. You can get a heart transplant, but you don't get a second soul. Foreigner STILL has it's soul. That would be Mick..

You are absolutely right that he can call it whatever he wants. However, a lot of Foreigner's fans who came up with the band when I did agree that Foreigner really no longer seems like Foreigner with all the new members. However, I broke down and just bought "Foreigner: Can't Slow Down" and just finished watching the concert DVD. I have to admit that this lineup is certainly better than the one which produced the album "Unusual Heat". I will admit that maybe I judged this lineup a bit hastily. I will listen to all the new tracks and some of the remastered older tracks and report back on this thread later to let you guys know what I think. I like your comment about Heart and Soul. I can tell that you are as huge a fan of the band as I used to be at one point. As a teenager (about the Foreigner 4 era), I used to keep a scrapbook and argue with anyone who would listen to me that Foreigner was better than Journey. It appears that most people who have seen both bands in the same concert recently also agree. Foreigner gives a truly stunning performance on the DVD of Can't Slow Down!

Now if you diss Mick again, I will have hunt you down like a dog and smack you. It sounds like you are living in the past.Perhaps you should buy some of those old Ed Sullivan shows.

Actually, I can't STAND Ed Sullivan. He reminds me too much of Richard Nixon. LOL! You are very right. I do tend to live in the past and tend to hate change. I think you've convinced me though to go ahead and give the new Foreigner a chance. Mick certainly deserves it! I assume you were joking about me "dissing" Mick. If it came off that way, I didn't mean for it to. I actually meant it as a sort of constructive criticism. I previewed some of the songs on their latest album prior to writing that long post. And I will absolutely not change my stance that the band needs to create more HARD ROCK in the vein that they did in the 70s and 80s. So please allow me this one point that I cannot back down on. LOL

I actually met Foreigner in 1986! So this is why I may be stuck in the past where that particular lineup is concerned. I didn't get a chance to meet Mick. But I met Rick Wills, Dennis Elliot, and Lou Gramm. Rick was a prick who was only friendly to you if you had nice boobs. LOL! Lou Gramm was a bit shy, but very friendly in spite of it. And Dennis Elliot was very funny! This guy with no shirt jumped in front of me to get an autograph. The guy seemed like he was drunk and / or on drugs. He asked if he could borrow my "Flair" marker, and I allowed it. He handed it to Dennis and then held his hand out for Dennis to sign. Dennis looked at him like he was a "bloody poofter" and handed the marker back to me. It was hilarious!

Anyway, thanks again for your input, sherrmorr! It's always great to hear from fellow Foreigner lovers. And thanks for your input. I will certainly give the new lineup more support than I have been. So you've done Foreigner a good service in your reply.

Hey, Tatjana! Thanks for the warm welcome! You mentioned some of the same things that sherrmorr mentioned in my post. And I clarified some of those points in that reply, so I won't beat a dead horse. But I will go ahead and reply to certain points you made that I haven't already covered.

Have you ever been to a Foreigner concert lately? If you had been you’d surely know that they kick major ass and that they do have the raw and edgy sound you love so much.

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I just watched their concert on the DVD included in Can't Slow Down. I have to admit that I ate crow on my previous post after having just watched that concert. They stunned me! And the Kelly Hansen in most of his performance sounds hauntingly like Lou Gramm in his prime years with Foreigner!

Besides, anybody who believes Lou Gramm could possibly sound again like he did in his glorious heydays is living in a fool’s paradise AND a great voice alone doesn’t provide good music anyways. His solo efforts from the 80’s weren’t all that compelling, at least not for my taste. I found his music to be quite generic and boring. But that is of course just my point of view.

Perhaps you are right about Lou Gramm's likelihood of recovering his voice. But from a Christian's standpoint, I will go ahead and say some prayers for him anyway. I agree that his solo effort was a drop in the ocean. But I liked a few of his songs ALMOST as much as I did many of his Foreigner songs. But I never did bother to buy any of his albums when it came from transferring my music collection from cassette to compact disk! LOL

Oh, and I’m all for a Foreigner video game. I love playing air guitar. I usually do it with a scrub whilst cleaning the house.

You can actually play (if I remember correctly) about six Foreigner songs on Rock Band! But I want to see a Rock Band: Foreigner game come out! It will probably never happen though. The Guitar Hero franchise completely folded. And the same thing may end up happening with the Rock Band franchise. I hope not, but who knows!

Swash: Life means change; the only certain thing in all of our lives is the uncertainty.

I don’t think you have to worry about Foreigner getting too mellow, at least not with a guy like Jeff Pilson in the line-up.

Even though “Can’t Slow Down” had a lot of ballads (of which I’m not really a fan of ), I consider this cd to be a very decent effort. I think it is MUCH better than albums like for example “Mr. Moonlight” and “Unusual Heat” and it includes songs which could have easily been found on any of the early Foreigner recordings. I’m talking about songs like the title track “Can’t Slow Down” but also stuff like “Angel Tonight” and “Give Me A Sign”.

You need to consider that this album has been the very first one with new material since about 15 years and Mick had to bring the music of Foreigner back into the awareness of the casual listener again. Maybe with this album he needed to “test the waters” first to see what is possible and what not.

Anyways, as far as I’m concerned they could add lots more songs from this album to their set list interspersed with a few more of the old gems. I love “Women” too as I do love the raunchy stuff in general.